John Williams, Treasures of Nhill & District Facebook page 19th April 2025, Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times.

Anzac day in Australia officially started in 1916, commemorating the first anniversary of the Gallipoli landing on April 25, 1915.

Acting Prime Minister George Pearce officially named the day “Anzac Day” but it wasn’t proclaimed a public holiday until 1927.

Nhill first commemorated the day on April 25th 1916 at the Elementary School in Brougham Street.

At that time there was no war memorial, no band because many of the members had signed up for service and were in training, and no march as there were few returned servicemen. The First World War was still more than 2 years away from an Armistice in November 1918.

It was to be a significant day for Nhill with the Nhill Free Press reporting that sadly the bodies of local and district heroes were lying asleep on Gallipoli, having made the supreme sacrifice for King and Country. The flag at the school was almost constantly at half mast as grim news was received that Nhill had lost another brave son.

On that first Anzac Day, the proceedings at the school opened with the saluting of the flag, followed by the declaration — “I love God and my Country, I honour the flag, I will serve the King, and cheerfully obey my parents, teachers, and the laws.”

After the singing of the National Anthem and the hymn “Our God our Help in Ages past”, the chairman of the school council spoke to those assembled.

Henry Swan said the deeds of the Anzac soldiers would occupy the foremost place in Australian history, and in our national celebrations, Anzac Day would take first place, as it rightly should.

The Free Press noted that attending the ceremony was Gunner Stewart Rutherford, who was on leave, and who was the first of the High School boys to enlist.

“He knew he would act on the battlefield as he had on the football field, and that he would play the game. And that he would come back safe.”

There is no record of a Stewart Rutherford from Nhill in the AIF. But there is a record for an 18-year-old Nhill farmer George Stuart Rutherford who enlisted in late 1915 and was a member of the local senior cadets.

It was common for Christian names to be switched and one can assume the paper misspelled Stuart. Stuart/Stewart did safely return from the war.

Other district schools also held their first Anzac Day events including Diapur where a teacher took the opportunity of making an urgent appeal to the children to give greater support to their patriotic fund, to which each was asked to subscribe a penny a week.

“For the months of February and March the amount subscribed by the children did not amount to one-half what it would have amounted to if each child had given a penny weekly.”

The teacher scolded the parents who he said did not realize the importance of cultivating in their children the spirit of self-denial and patriotism which would be essential to the character of citizens for more than one generation.

At Minimay the school ran a tobacco day. Each of the children was to bring a gift of tobacco or something suitable for a soldier’s gift.

The Anzac Day collection resulted in 71 packets of cigarettes, 9 tins of tobacco, 2 tins fish paste, 2 tins cocoa, 2 tins condensed milk, and 1 packet soap. The girls of the school donated 65 handkerchiefs, 12 pairs of mittens, 12 pairs of socks, and 12 face washers.

When soldiers in the trenches were asked what was their greatest need, they said “mosquito nets”.

The Gallipoli campaign was particularly devastating for the Light Horsemen from Nhill.

James Conway, 9th Light Horse Regiment, died Saturday 7th August 1915 at the Nek. He was the father of local barber Jim Conway.

Thomas Dickinson also a member of the 9th Light Horse, was killed in action at Hill 60 on the 28th of August 1915. He was the second son of Lowan Shire Councillor Richard Dickinson of Boyeo.

Richard addressed the crowd at the unveiling of the War memorial in September 1921 and also at the unveiling was, little Elsie Conway, who laid a wreath in honour of her father James.

The second Nhill Anzac Day in 1917 was transferred to the Royal Theatre which was patriotically decorated with flags and banners and once again there was no street procession as the war was still raging in Europe and the Middle East.

The first Nhill Anzac Day march took place in 1919. Little has been written about it with the only comment coming from well-known local identity Lucy Amer.

She pleaded with the 1920 march organisers to take into account the kids who ran beside the soldiers during last year’s event and then were pretty much forgotten.

The 1920 march was part of a Sports Day Procession from MacPherson Street to Citizens Park (Davis Park).

The Dimboola Band was at the head of the procession and the Nhill Free Press described the parade in glowing terms:

“The band was followed by an exceptionally fine body of returned diggers under the command of Captain H. King.

The company comprised just under 100 men of fine physique in their smart-looking uniforms of khaki and their marching was a special feature of the parade.

After they reached the park, the spectators were treated to another drill which was warmly applauded.

The khaki lads were escorted in the march by several mounted Light Horsemen.”

The Dawn Service commemorative ceremony wasn’t embraced by Nhill until 1960. It is held at dawn, or close to it, to coincide with the time of the Gallipoli landings in 1915.

Footnote: Covered in a previous story is Nhill’s Lone Pine Memorial in Clarence Street which is particularly related to Thomas Dickinson.

This article appeared in Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times, 30 April 2025.